In anticipation of future employment growth, Twentieth Century Fox has begun laying the groundwork for a potential 1.1-million-square-foot expansion of its studio lot in Century City.
The Fox Studios Master Plan, as detailed in an initial study published by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning, would establish a general framework for development on the 59-acre property over the next two decades. Although future plans are contingent on market conditions, the expansion project is expected to include the following components: The proposed master plan, drafted by the global architecture firm Gensler, would be implemented at six underutilized sites throughout the studio lot. Fox specifically targeted areas located away from adjacent residential neighborhoods with aging facilities in need of replacement.
As the proposed master plan would cap new floor area on the studio lot at 1.1-million square feet, it is impossible for all six sites to be developed to their maximum potential.
Streetscape
The proposed master plan calls for the creation of a new pedestrian promenade along Avenue Stars which would include shade trees, public benches, pedestrian information kiosks, bicycle racks, bus shelters and improved lighting. Further improvements are slated for the south side of Olympic Boulevard, which would add a multi-use pedestrian and bicycle path running between Century Park West and Avenue of the Stars. The project would also implement a variety of sidewalk and crosswalk improvements to enhance connections to bus stops along Pico Boulevard, the proposed pedestrian promenade and the future Century City subway station. Access and Parking Fox Studios is currently entitled for a maximum of 4,500 vehicle parking spaces. A full buildout of the proposed master plan would push that total to 8,298, including 3,298 spaces for personal automobiles and 500 spaces for production vehicles. Vehicular access would be improved through the addition of a new entrance gate along Olympic Boulevard, and the relocation of an existing entrance along Avenue of the Stars. Construction Construction of the Fox Studios expansion would occur in several phases, with a full buildout anticipated by 2035. However, timing would be dependent on market conditions. As currently proposed, the project would require a number of discretionary approvals from the City of Los Angeles, including an amendment to the Century City South Specific Plan and a corresponding zone change. Development on the Fox Studios lot was previously guided by a 1993 development agreement between the studio and the City of Los Angeles. The agreement expired in 2006.